Simulated breast and surgical brassiere therefor



Sept. 13, 1955 H. B. RADLER SIMULATED BREAST AND SURGICAL BRASSIERETHEREFOR Filed Sept. l, 1953 HELEN B. RADLER @41E mmOJDOIw m .L

INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY United States Patent SIMULATED BREAST AND SURGICALBRASSIERE THEREFOR Helen B. Radler, New York, N. Y.

Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,888

14 Claims. (Cl. 12S-275) This invention relates to a simulated breastadapted to be worn during convalescence after an-operation in whicheither one or both breasts have been removed. It particularly relates toa surgical brassiere including at least one such simulated breast thatmay be worn comfortably over surgical dressings .by a patient duringboth Waking and sleeping hours.

The convalescent periodV after abreast removal operation is quitecritical. For example, in the case of a cancerous condition, the breast.and considerable portions of the surrounding muscle and flesh areremoved. Complete healing ofthe affected parts usually requires a periodof several months, during which time care must be taken to maintain theproper surgical dressings nplace. patient is not confined `to. beddur-ing the latter portion of the convalescent period. She is thereforeconfronted not only with the diicult psychological problem of recoveringfrom the shock of the operation, but .also of overcoming embarrassmentyin facing friends and the public. Thisperiod of adjustment .is .mademore difficult by the fact that conventional padded brassieres,containing Sponges, or -foam rubber or the like, cannot be used toreplace the removed bust. Such garments aggravate the unhealed wounds,give inadequate ventilation, .do not absorb drainage from the healingportions, and -do not fit comfortably over the `surgical dressingsneeded during this period.

Therefore, it is a .principal object of the .present invention toprovide an improved brassiere thatcan. be worn over surgical dressingssoon after surgery without irritating affected parts resulting from anoperation of the type described, and that can be worn either in bed toprotect dressings from becoming wrinkled or out .of bed as an undergarment.

It is a further object to provide a simulated breast to replace eachremoved breast, resulting yin'thepsychological advantages of improvedappearance and morale during the convalescent period.

Additional objects yinclude the provision of a .comfortable garment thatmay be easily and quickly put on by a patient having a limited use .of-her arms, that gives 4sup.- port to the unaffected parts :and improvesposture, that is readily adjustable tofaccommodate changes in .thesizesof surgical dressings, and that may be easily cleaned. Other advantagesof the invention Will appear in the following description. taken inconjunctionl with the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodimentof the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a front viewfof the complete article adapted for use whenonly the right breast has been removed.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken along line II-II of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a back view of the simultaed breast pocket and adjacentsupporting material shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a front view of the removable pocket cover and shoulder flapshown in Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and particularly to The.

ice

Figure l, Vthe numerals 11 and 12 designate a pair of side front fabricportions of the brassiere, each portion containing an upperbreast-shaped fabric pocket, 13 and 14, respectively, and a lowergirdling member, 15 and 16, respectively. Pocket 13 is adapted to coverand to conform to the contour of the unremoved left breast. Pocket 14,adapted to provide a simulated breast to replace the removed rightbreast as hereinafter described, is provided with substantially the samefullness and contour as pocket 13. The girdling members 1S and 16 covera substantial portion .of the body in the area of the breasts andprovide support for the pockets. Supporting tabs 17 and 18, includingthetop buckle or clip members 19 and 20, respectively, are each securedsubstantially midway of the width of the pocket portions and at theupper edge thereof.

Girdling member 15 has a reinforced outer vertical edge 21, adapted tobe secured in the front of the patient to the reinforced outer verticaledge 22 of the adjacent complementary member 16 by hooks and eyes orother suitable fastening means, such as zippers and the like. Inthearrangement shown, a plurality of hooks 23 are equally spaced alongthe under-side of edge 21,A and a plurality of eyes 24 to receive thesehooks are equally spaced along the upper-side of edge 22. Members 15Aand '16 are each provided with inner reinforced vertical edges'25; aplurality of eyelets 26, equally spaced along these vertical edges, areadapted to receive ribbons or lacings 27. The bottom horizontalreinforced edges 28 of members 15 and 16 have attached thereto, ifdesired, one or more elastic tabs 29 containing hooks or other fasteningdevices 30, to be fastened to a girdlefor support. At -least two elastictabs are preferred on the side having the simulated breast in order toinsure keeping it in acorrectly balanced position.

The back member of the garment ,preferably includes a center portion 31of continuous, relatively unstretchable fabric, `having attached alongeach vertical edge thereof a relatively narrow vertical panel 32 of anelastic fabric. The outer vertical edge 32a of each panel is reinforcedand contains a plurality of eyelets 26 to receive lacings 27.

This construction permits the use of lacing or ribbon to Secure eachfront portion in adjustable relationship with respect to the backportion whereby the brassiere may be easily and quickly fitted andadjusted to the torso of the individual wearer. It also permitsadjusting the garment readily when changes in the sizes of the dressingscovering the aifected parts are encountered. The elastic panels providefreedom of motion and flexibility and tend to prevent severe rubbing of,and irritation to, the healing wounds.

It is also important to provide means for fastening and unfastening thegarment in the front along edges 21 and 22. The patient has only verylimited use of her arms up to the last stages of the convalescentperiod, and she is able to carry out manipulations in front-of her body,but notat her sides or back.

Shoulder strap pieces 33 and 34 extend from the -top edgefof the backportion, each preferably being attached at the reinforced portion atwhich the elastic panel is joined tothe center portion 31. Theseshoulder pieces are adapted to extend over the shoulders of the wearerand to be secured to buckles 19 and 20. The straps may be adjusted `asdesired to give vertical support to the garment, and to maintain thesimulated breast in the proper location.

In a preferred embodiment of this invention, rectangularfabric side ilapmembers 35 and 36 are vvprovided to fit under eyelets 26 and lacings 27.In one mode a vertical edge of the flap is sewn along the under side ofthe front portion, along the margin 25a of vertical edges 25, thusleaving eyelets 26 free to receive the lacings. The flap extendsoutwardly from the front portion and under the eyelets and lacings, andlaps under at least a portion of the corresponding elastic panel 32.Thus, a continuous protective covering is provided for the dressings onthe affected side. The side iiaps also protect the wearer fromirritation caused by the lacings or by knots in the lacings.

Turning now to the simulated breast, as shown in Figure 2, the integralparts include a flexible front pocket 14 adapted to receive a soft,packing material 37, such as fibrous cotton, and a back removable pocketcover 38 adapted to cover the pocket opening and to hold the packingmaterial in place. This cover will lie adjacent to the surgicaldressings covering the affected parts. As mentioned heretofore, theouter surface of pocket 14 should have the approximate contour and sizeof the removed breast, when it is filled with the packing material. Themethod of cutting and sewing fabric to form the cup-shaped pockets isknown to the art, and need not be described in detail herein.

As shown in Figure 3, presenting the back view of the pocket without thepocket cover, the opening of the pocket is defined at its periphery byreinforced edge 39,

which in the modification shown includes a lower semicircular portionand an upper triangular portion. The pocket is attached along the lowerportion of edge 39 to member 16. Edge 39 also provides a means forattaching cover 38 thereto. As seen in Figure 4, removable cover 38 ispreferably a single thickness of fabric defined on its outer edges by areinforced portion 40 having a shape corresponding to edge 39. Edges 39and 40 include means 41 and 42 for fastening cover 38 to the pocket.These fastening means preferably include a plurality of small two-piecegrippers or snaps sewn at equally spaced positions along the edges.Thus, the projecting portions 41 of the grippers may be affixed to thebackside of edge 39 while the corresponding receiving portions 42 of thegrippers are sewn to the front of edge 4t). The pocket cover and packingmaterial provide a flexible, resilient surface for the dressings.

It is also preferred to utilize a shoulder flap 43 on the affected side,this ap extending over the shoulder and under shoulder strap 34. This aplies over the upper part of the dressings, protects the upper affectedparts from pressure caused by the strap, and prevents the strap frombecoming unduly soiled by drainage. In the ernbodirnent shown therelatively wide, elongated flap 43 is sewn along its lower edge to thetop edge of cover 3S and extends upwardly for lying over the shoulder.This flap may be of a single or double thickness of cloth, and may be ofany suitable shape that will provide the desired protection, theprogressively narrowing embodiment shown being satisfactory in thisrespect.

The construction of the simulated breast portion is quite important fromseveral different aspects. The covering 14 and packing materialcooperate to give a reasonable approximation of the appearance of theremoved breast without at the same time causing pressure against theaffected parts. Thus it should not include weighty, relativelyinflexible materials of construction. The packing material should belight, iuffy and sanitary and is most preferably a soft fibrousmaterial. Surgical cotton is preferred because it meets theserequirements, and is readily available, relatively inexpensive andhighly absorbent. This last feature is also important since the affectedparts will drain to a considerable extent, and some of the drainage willfind its way through the dressings to the garment. Cotton has theability to absorb such drainings and is readily replaced when thedrainage becomes excessive. Furthermore, the amount of packing materialused will change from time to time as the size of the dressingsdecrease. The present construction permits changing the amount easily toconform to the contour of the dressings.

Since the pocket cover is the part most readily soiled by drainage, itwill need to be cleaned more frequently than the remainder of thegarment. Hence, it is preferably completely detachable as shown. Theshoulder flap is also subject to soiling more readily than the frontportion of the garment, and for this reason it is preferably attached tothe removable pocket cover rather than to the pocket in order tofacilitate cleaning. The girdling member 16 and pocket may be unlacedfrom the rest of the garment and cleaned as needed, or the entiregarment may be laundered as a unit.

The garment of the present invention may be constructed of any suitablefabric which is comfortable to the skin, porous and easily cleaned andlaundered. The non-elastic portions are for these reasons preferablymade of cotton materials, although other fabrics such as nylon, which iseasily and quickly washed and dried, may be used in some or all of theseportions. Nylon elastic fabrics are preferred for use as the panels 32.

It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the presentinvention may be modified in various ways and designed to fit individualneeds without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. Forexample the simulated breast may be supported by means other than thecorset-type construction shown. For example, the simulated breast per semay be fitted to the figure by means of suitable lateral and verticalsupporting straps to provide the psychological advantages mentionedheretofore. However, the construction shown in the drawings cooperatesto give all the advantages of a supporting garment, brassiere andsimulated breast during the convalescent period and is preferred forthese reasons. Although the pocket 13 for the unremoved breast is shownas a simple fabric covering, it may include conventional breastsupports, pads, or the like.

Garments constructed in accordance with the present invention have beensuccessfully used by patients, who have undergone mastectomy operations,in both hospital and home. Because of its many desirable and beneficialsanitary features, as well as the psychological benefits, it has beenapproved for the described use by surgeons.

The garment has been described for use in cases where the right breasthas been removed. It is obvious, however, that it is also applicable toother cases where either the left or both breasts have been removed,With proper modifications in the construction thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A simulated breast adapted to replace a surgically removed femalebreast during convalescence comprising in combination a pocket memberadapted to receive a soft packing material and to assume a breast-likeappearance when packed therewith; and a cover member for the opening ofsaid pocket detachably secured to said pocket at the periphery thereof.

2. A simulated breast adapted to replace a surgically removed femalebreast during convalescence and to fit over surgical dressingscomprising in combination a breastshaped pocket member packed with asoft, fibrous material, a removable cover member for the opening of saidpocket adapted to hold said fibrous material in place, said cover memberbeing secured to said pocket, and an elongated shoulder flap memberextending upwardly from the top of said cover member.

3. A simulated breast adapted to be worn over surgical 'E dressingsafter a breast removal operation comprising in combination a girdlingmember adapted to cover a substantial portion of the front portion ofthe body around the removed breast, a breast-shaped pocket memberextending outwardly from the upper portion of said girdling member and.attached `thereto along at least a substantial portion .of theperiphery defining the opening of said pocket, a soft, absorbent fibrousmaterial packed in said pocket, a removable cover member attached tosaid opening, and means for attaching said cover along the periphery ofsaid opening.

4. A simulated breast as in claim 3 including an elongated fabricshoulder flap member connected to and extending upwardly from the topedge of said cover member.

5. A surgical brassiere adapted to be worn during convalescence after abreast removal operation comprising in combination at least one frontmember adapted to cover a substantial portion of the body around aremoved breast, said front member being attached to a back portion ofthe brassiere by lacings, a breast-shaped fabric pocket member extendingoutwardly from the upper portion of said front member and attachedthereto along at least a substantial portion of the periphery definingthe opening of said pocket, a soft, absorbent fibrous material packed insaid pocket, a removable cover member se cured to said opening, meansfor attaching said cover along the periphery of said opening, and afabric ap member attached to and extending outwardly from the side edgeof said girdling member, said ilap member being adapted to lie undersaid lacings and adjacent to the body of the wearer.

6. A simulated breast as in claim 5 including an elongated fabricshoulder ap member connected to and extending upwardly from said covermember.

7. A surgical brassiere adapted to be worn during convalescence after anoperation in which at least one breast has been removed comprising incombination a back portion and a pair of front portions adjustablyconnected to the back portion by lacings, means for fastening said frontportions together along the vertical edges thereof, at least one of saidfront members including a breastshaped fabric pocket, a soft, absorbent,fibrous material packed in said pocket, a removable inner fabric covermember for the packed pocket and attached thereto along the peripherydefining the pocket opening, a tab extending upwardly from each of saidfront portions, shoulder straps extending upwardly from said backportion, and means for adjustably attaching said straps to said tabs.

8. A brassiere as in claim 7 wherein each of said front portionsincludes a side fabric Hap member attached to and extending outwardlyfrom the side vertical edges thereof, said side flap members beingadapted to iit under said lacings.

9. A brassiere as in claim 7 wherein said inner cover member includes anelongated, relatively wide fabric shoulder ilap member connected to andextending upwardly from the top edge thereof, said shoulder flap memberbeing adapted to fit under said shoulder strap.

l0. A brassiere as in claim 9 wherein each of said front portionsincludes a side fabric flap member attached to and extending outwardlyfrom the vertical edges thereof, said side flap members being adapted tofit under said lacings.

11. A brassiere as in claim 7 wherein said back portion includes anelastic fabric panel member along each outer edge thereof, said lacingsconnecting said front portions to said panels.

l2. A brassiere as in claim 11 wherein said cover member includes anelongated, relatively wi-de fabric shoulder flap member connected to andextending upwardly from the top edge thereof, said shoulder flap memberbeing adapted to t under said shoulder strap.

13. A brassiere as in claim 12 wherein each of said front portionsincludes a side fabric flap member attached to and extending outwardlyfrom the side vertical edges thereof, said side flap members beingadapted to fit under said lacings and to lap under at least a portion ofsaid elastic panel member.

14. A brassiere as in claim 13 wherein said fibrous material is cotton.

No references cited.

